Buttons, Badges & Pins - People Power Blog

Available in two shapes and three different styles to suit your taste, these fun and classy magnetic necklace pendants are a great way to show off your favourite button creations in new and original ways.

Designed to hold a 1" round or square flat back button, the pendants are made with super strong rare earth magnets that won't let go of your button until you want them to.

Infinitely customizable, you now have the greatest excuse to make all of the buttons you could ever want to wear and change up your look weekly, daily, hourly, or as often as you'd like! Without poking holes in your shirt! :)

Like a locket, button pendant necklaces make a meaningful personalized gift, arts and crafts project, or raffle giveaway.

Create and sell a series of interchangeable designs that people can buy together as a set or collect over time.

They can also be used as a unique and creative marketing tool. Above all else, they're a one of a kind accessory that will never get old.

The pendants for the necklaces are sold without chains so you can wear your design with a chain you already own or choose exactly the style you want. We have a few necklace chain styles in stock and are adding more. If you are looking for a chain style we don’t have, just let us know and we can likely get what you need!

Be sure to check in often to see what new style options we have. Stay tuned for customizable bracelets and other new items to be introduced in the coming weeks and months!

Are you holding an event and want to make buttons? It’s fun! And easier than you think! :)

We rent button makers in various shapes and sizes and have all the supplies you’ll need. We’ll even show you how the machine works before you leave the store : )

Not mechanically minded? Or maybe you need to focus your attention on other tasks? No problem! We also have an amazing events team who can run the button booth for you. Write them at events@peoplepowerpress.org to learn more.

Regardless of what you’re doing for Chinese New Year, we would love to see how you are celebrating!

Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre produces a festival every year called CANOE2015. #CANOE2015 runs from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2 and will be presenting some of the most ground-breaking theatrical events by local, national and international artists.

“Every January, Workshop West turns its word-based mandate upside down to program non-traditional theatre that pushes boundaries and buttons” says newly appointed Artistic Director Vern Thiessen. “It’s our chance to show people what kinds of theatrical experiments people are cooking up from around the world.”

Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre is an Edmonton-based professional theatre company. The company is dedicated to the development, production, promotion, and presentation of new Canadian playwrights and their plays, and to the education of the public in playwriting skills.

If you want to learn more about the CANOE2015 Festival, check out their site: www.canoe2015.com.

To find out more about the folks at Workshop West and all of the other great stuff they are up to, you can check out their website, follow them on Twitter and make friends with them on Facebook

January 25th is Robbie Burns Day. Burns was a Scottish poet and his birthday is a national holiday in Scotland and is celebrated by Scots and those with Scottish roots around the world. Traditions include reciting some of the bard’s beloved lines, raising a glass or two of whiskey, playing the bagpipes and eating the Scottish delicacy haggis. Haggis used to be made with sheep parts, but modern haggis usually is a variation of lamb, beef, oats, onion and seasonings. Vegan haggis is a thing too!

We might not be eating haggis here, but we did make a haggis button in honour of Burns. We made some with his poetry too. So come in to our Toronto shop, say “Hi”, and pick one up for free! : )

Did you make any resolutions? If you did, you might like some of the resolution buttons we made at the office. They are our Button of the Week so if you are near our store in Toronto’s west end, please make sure you pass through to pick one up!

Resolutions or not, the New Year is usually a time for new beginnings... like starting a new hobby! Or a small business! Making buttons is great for both : )

In this week’s blog post, we will focus on getting started making buttons as a hobby. Next week’s post will focus on resources and tips for starting your own button making business.

If you are already a crafty person, then you will probably (very likely!) love designing and making buttons. They are also great for organizations looking to promote events or causes, for schools to keep kids creative and busy, or for bands looking for inexpensive ways to support their music.

A Button Maker!

We sell a variety of button making machines. If you are going to start buttons as a hobby, making only a few buttons at a time and not for reselling, then we recommend one of our hobby button making kits. We sell two different types:

2. Multi-Size Hobby Maker – Make a variety of different sizes with the same all metal body hobby machine! Comes with your choice of a) just the 2-1/4” size or b) 3 different sizes (including 2-1/4”) to get you started.

If you have a bit more money to spend and think that you may end up making thousands of buttons, will be selling the buttons you make, or need to be able to make lots of them fast, then you should look at purchasing one of our heavy duty button making kits. These machines are built to last and consistently make great buttons!

Button Supplies

All of our button making kits come with parts to get you started making pin back buttons and include a sample pack of all the different products you can make with your machine. Once you’ve had a change to experiment and play around, you will definitely want to make more and can order parts for magnets, keychains, bottle openers, necklaces, bracelets, zipper pulls, and more (depending on what size of badge maker you have). Just scroll through the drop-down menu on the appropriate product page to see what other items your machine can make.

Other sizes are also available for the Multi-Size Machine. Just ask! : )

Button Designs/Artwork

Once you’ve picked your item type, you can also get creative about what designs or materials you use to put on your buttons. You can print your own custom artwork or use fabric, photos, Dura-Lar and acetate to create unique and interesting buttons.

Here are some resources for getting your designs together:

For Newbies! Use our Free Online Design Software – A Great Starting Place :)

Not a graphic designer? Don’t have Photoshop or any other design programs? Don’t worry! Button Designer is a free and easy-to-use software available online. This is a basic program intended for making simple button designs that you can design, print and press at home. It is a good starting point for folks who are new to button design and the world of design in general.

Do you know something about design and have access to design programs like Photoshop or Illustrator? Then you can use the free templates available for download on our site. Make sure you use the right template for the size of button you are making so that, when printed and cut, your designs will fit your machine.

We know that sometimes it is easier to see how something is done that to read about it. To help you learn the art and science of button making, we have a series of how-to videos to help you with your button making adventures. Here are a few good ones to start with!

You can also check out our YouTube page for more videos and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to find out when new videos are available :)

Buttons are easy to make once you get the hang of it. If you have any questions after you’ve checked out these resources and links, give us a shout and we’ll be more than happy to help : )

We love making buttons and want to make sure you do too!

You can also sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out on our regular updates with new product information, sales, and other helpful button making resources. We only send it out a few times a year, so keep your eyes peeled! :)

Celebrate the New Year with a little sparkle! A glittery button like these make the perfect complement to your New Year’s outfit. Make them as a pinback button or as a flat back button with a magnet attached to prevent pinholes in your festive frock.

You can make buttons like the ones made by our designers by printing directly on Dura-Lar film and putting some festive paper underneath to match your party mood. You can even make buttons with some of that leftover wrapping paper!

Do you like these buttons so much you want some for yourself and your party-going posse? Are you a hostess who is thinking that these custom buttons will make great gifts for your guests? Why not let us make some for you in any style or quantity you would like!

It is time to shop for the holidays! Button makers, buttons and button supplies make great and unique gifts for the crafty person in your life. If you don’t know this yet – buttons make people very happy. And we are happy to bring you a gift guide to help you figure out the perfect button gift for that special someone. : )

Gift Idea #1: For the Kids (And Kids at Heart!)

A hobby button maker is great for anyone who likes to do crafts. The T150 and Orange Multi-Size Hobby Button Makers will both make fantastic gifts for kids and hobbyists who will not make a lot of buttons and won’t be selling their buttons as a business.

T150 Hobby Button Maker Kit - This machine has a plastic body and makes 2-1/4” buttons only. The kit comes with enough parts to get you started.

Orange Multi-Size Hobby Button Maker Kits - If you are looking at a hobby maker, but want something that is a bit more durable and offers a few different size options than the T150, then you may be interested in getting our new multi-size button maker kit. This machine’s body is metal (not plastic like the T150) and can make up to three different sizes!

Professional Button Maker Kits - Make the investment in the one of the fantastic and oh-so-robust Tecre button presses and you can give a gift that will last long after the holidays are over. These machines can make thousands of buttons with consistent quality suitable for people who want to sell buttons as a business pursuit, to make some money as a fun side project or to showcase their fine artwork. Different sizes available.

Gift Idea #3: For the Musicians in Your Family

Button Making Kits – Get a button maker kit to help band members make buttons to support their music. Smaller sizes of button makers are recommended!

Pre-Pay for Custom Buttons – Know a musician who would love to use buttons to promote their music? Give the gift of custom buttons and we will make the buttons for you!

Pick Punches – Musicians can make their own custom picks with this new guitar pick punch. They won’t have to worry about losing another pick with this handy tool!

Gift Idea #4: Personalized Holiday Keepsakes

Custom Buttons – We Make Them For You! - Buttons make great gifts, even if you don’t want to make buttons yourself. Did you know that we can make more than just buttons? Send us your custom button artwork or photos and will we make a special gift to give out this holiday season. We can even work with you to create your custom artwork by scratch.

Necklaces – One of our newest products, these magnetic pendants let your pop your custom design in and out to be always changing your look. Contact us for pricing!

Coasters – Make a truly personalized gift with a set of 3.5” round coasters this year.

Bottle Openers – Like giving practical gifts? Bottle openers can be fun, but also useful. Keyring and magnetic bottle openers are also available.

Magnets – Send out your holiday greeting or family photo as a fridge magnet this year. Different shapes are available.

Family Photo Silly Face Buttons – Create your own dry erase design so that you can make your own silly faces. Use outlines from real photos or your own graphics. Then draw, laugh, erase and repeat!

If you already have a button maker then you may already know about all of the creative ways you can use your button machine this holiday season. Make special gifts such as ornaments, jewelry, magnets, keychains, zipper pulls and bottle openers in addition to buttons.

Just make sure you order your supplies in time to make something for everyone on your list! We will be closed Dec. 24-26 and Jan. 1-2. We are not open on weekends. We recommend you place your order as soon as possible so that we have enough time to ship your order to you. Give us a shout so we can help you determine how long shipping will take to your destination.

Please call us today so one of our friendly sales team can answer all your questions and help you pick out the perfect button gift.

If you know someone who already has a buttonmaker and is passionate about buttonmaking, but aren’t sure what machine they have or what size of buttons they make, we now have gift cards that can be purchased and redeemed online.

Gift cards are also great if you think someone would like a button maker, but can’t afford to buy a whole kit. They will appreciate your contribution to the cost of a button making kit and supporting their button making dream.